New Shooter questions

[Andrewwolf]

I would like to try shooting IDPA, USPSA, and Steel Target. I live in California(Los Angeles). I am looking to get a pistol that can shoot production, and as many of the other divisions as possible. I know no one gun can do everything(although my friend has a 1911, and thinks its the pistol God uses). Here are the firearms I am looking at.
FN FNP-45(USG/nonUSG)
EAA Witness P carry(in 10mm converted to 45acp and/or 40SW)*
EAA Match(also in 10mm converted to 45acp/40sw, and trigger switched to D/A)*
CZ SP-01 tactical in 40SW
Walther P99QA in 40SW
Beretta Storm Px4 in 45acp

*I can get a great deal on 10mm versions. Good enough to get a conversion upper, and pistol for slightly over wholesale.

If you have any comments, suggestions, constructive critiques, etc I would very much like to here them. I am hoping to go to a IDPA match next week, and USPSA within the next 3-4 weeks, steel the beginning of May.
I am looking to shot Major.
Also I cant seem to find a rule PDF/book for steel target shooting. If someone knows of a web site that has one. I cant' find one on the main Steel target shooting site or ISI(Piru, CA) site.
Thanks for any information.

 

[Sunray]

"...a great deal on 10mm versions..." The ammo is expensive and not easy to come by.
"...PDF/book for steel target shooting..." There really isn't one that covers every plate shoot. However, the NRA's Action Pistol rules covers most of it.
http://www.nrahq.org/compete/nra-rule-books.asp
Here's another variation.
http://steelchallenge.com/scsa-clubs/scsa-rules/
Target loads with cast bullets work well for plates. You don't need a hot load.

 

[VegasOPM]

Any of those would work for any of the sports mentioned. There is not really a benefit to .40 or .45 over 9mm, since IDPA and Steel Challenge don't have a "major" class for DA/SA and none of those pistols would really be competitive in USPSA Limited class. USPSA Production is scored minor only. I don't think that the SP-01 is legal for IDPA- it is either too heavy (over 46 oz) or too big for the box- but I may be wrong.

I can tell you that Glocks, along with the Springfield XD and the S&W MP pistols are really competitive in all of the sports mentioned. The CZ 75/ 85 tends to do the best of all of the DA/SA pistols.